The separatists suffered a defeat in the Catalonia elections and the socialists’ willingness to engage in dialogue was rewarded. But the future of the Spanish region depends on the biggest election loser.
In the early parliamentary elections in Catalonia, voters punished the separatist forces and rewarded the socialists who favor dialogue. For the first time since 1980, the various pro-independence parties in the Spanish conflict region lost the absolute majority of seats.
The Socialists led by leading candidate Salvador Illa, on the other hand, received the most votes and the most seats in parliament in Barcelona for the first time, but missed the absolute majority of 68 seats. “I take responsibility for leading this new stage,” Illa complained on election evening. What was meant was the move away from separatism.
“The triumph of Illas buries the “Procés”” (the years-long separation offensive of the separatists), was the headline of the renowned newspaper “El País”. The Socialists’ success was also attributed to Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He had campaigned for pardons for convicted separatists and for an amnesty for pro-independence supporters of the region in northeastern Spain who had fled abroad in order to ease the years-long conflict and take the wind out of the separatists’ sails. In return, he secured their votes for his re-election last fall in parliament in Madrid.
Socialists need the biggest election loser
Sánchez’s strategy worked so far. The separatists always achieved their best results when the central government reacted with a hard hand, commented the newspaper “La Vanguardia”. Sánchez congratulated Illa on X. “Catalonia is ready to embrace a new future and enter a time of hope,” he wrote in Catalan.
Illa could now be elected head of government with the support of other left-wing parties. Small flaw: this includes the biggest election loser, the separatist ERC. The party of regional government leader Pere Aragonès, who is now only acting, fell to third place, far behind Junts of separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, who is still living in exile.
Visibly disappointed, Aragonès announced that he would go into opposition on election evening. It is unclear whether his party will follow him there. An Illa minority government supported by the ERC would also be possible. The negotiations are likely to be lengthy. And if they fail, there could be another election.
Puigdemont wants minority government
Puigdemont, who faces arrest in Spain until the amnesty comes into effect, had to conduct the election campaign from abroad. In the southern French town of Argelès-sur-Mer, just ten kilometers north of the border with Spain, he claimed the office of head of government in Barcelona on Monday. “We can bring together a coherent majority,” he told reporters.
By “coherent” he meant a government that should only include separatist parties. That would be Junts (35 seats), ERC (20) and possibly also the extreme left CUP (4), which together would have up to 59 seats – nine fewer than the absolute majority. Such a Puigdemont minority government would therefore have to be tolerated by the victorious Socialists (42). Commentators on Spanish television described this proposal as rather illusory.
After the separatists’ election debacle, Puigdemont initially did not comment on his announcement during the election campaign that he would leave active politics if he did not become “President” in Barcelona again. However, the Socialists have to be careful with the 61-year-old, who is sometimes seen as unpredictable, because if he feels ignored in Catalonia, he could, as a thank you, paralyze the Sánchez government in parliament in Madrid.
After an illegal independence referendum and a decision to secede from Spain, Catalonia was plunged into chaos in the fall of 2017 under the aegis of Puigdemont. At that time, Puigdemont was able to flee abroad with other members of the government. Several of the comrades-in-arms who remained in the country were sentenced to prison terms of up to 13 years, but were later pardoned. Catalonia is still suffering from the consequences of the chaotic separation attempt – political instability as well as corporate and capital flight.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
